They asked how Jaqen ended in the black cells and George answered that's a mystery.

Please forgive any English mistakes.

(will be editing as I translate)

- In the last Jon Snow chapter from ADWD, for the first time there's a temporary ellipsis in the story of events. Is that a deception for the reader?

Oh, I don't think is the first time, I've done it plenty! (laughs) There are a lot of conversations we didn't get to listen (laughs). Anyway, it is uncovered a few minutes later in a more dramatic way. Jon gives this great speech in front of everyone explaining what Tormund and himself had decided: Jon is going to ride South with his army against Bolton's bastard and Tormund will command the bulk of the Night's Watch to Hardhome. That's what they were discussing.

- There must be a trick there, I know (laughs)

(laughs) You surely are suspicious (laughs)

-When Ned and Robert are discussing the murder of Daenerys in AGOT, Ned says "Why did we rebel against Aerys Targaryen, Robert, if it was not to end the murder of children?"* Aerys committed a lot of atrocities but it is never mentioned again that he killed children. Is it a slip on Ned's part or is there something we don't know yet?

Well there were times when Aerys ordered to kill children. It is revealed in later books. Just as with Blackwater when they take the city and kill most people including the youngest children of the rebelling Houses, like House Darklyn or House Hollard. I imagine there were several situations when the same thing happened. You slaughter a complete House. You don't kill the father and let the children grow to avenge later. This becomes an endless circle… Targaryen children were murdered themselves.

Here it is, boys and girls. Hope you enjoy it. Any questions, feel free to ask. Also, remember this is only a taste of a bigger interview (don't know when the rest will be posted). Anyway, without further ado:

How did Ned Stark run into Syrio Forel?

Well, I’ve never given it much thought. Ned was searching for a fencing master who could teach Arya, and he knew it couldn’t not be a conventional master at arms or a knight, or the castle master at arms, because he didn’t think his young daughter could handle a broadsword (or maybe longsword) the way man with greater strength in their torso could, so he decided the Braavosi style suited her best. Who was available in the city that might fit the bill? Obviously, somebody had to recommend him to Ned. I believe Syrio must have been in the city at the time, because there wasn’t enough time to send for someone all the way from Braavos.

How did Jaqen H’ghar wind up in the dungeons of King’s Landing?

Wow, that’s also a mystery (laughs). You really pay attention when you read, don’t you? (laughs) How many theories have you gleaned from these books? (more laughs)

Have you settled on whose POV you’ll use for the epilogue of A Dream of Spring?

Yes, I made up my mind (laughs). (Personal note: what we wouldn’t do to find out, huh? xD)

And is it going to be 7 books?

I’m hoping for 7, but I can’t promise anything. Seven is my aim, but I’ve learned how bad I am at estimating.

What is the origin behind the Azor Azhai prophecy?

The prophecy comes from the countries of the east (my own note: in Spanish it said west, but they acknowledged this was a mistake on the transcriber’s part), it’s not a Westerosi prophecy, you can infer that from the name. Westeros has its own prophecies, different from the one about He Who Was Promised.

What was Robert’s reaction to Rhaegar naming Lyanna Queen of Love and Beauty?

I can tell you it didn’t quite sit well with him. He should have crowned his own lady.

This is gonna be a “keep reading,” but I have to try. Is Coldhands a wight? If so, why isn’t he like the rest of them?

Keep reading, (laughs).

Are the Faceless Men under contract to kill Dany’s dragons?

Not yet (Interviewer: Hmm…)

Did Howland Reed stand witness to the promise Ned made to Lyanna?

(Silence) No. (Interviewer: Hmm…2)

Why are the Others moving south?

Well, I don’t know, you should ask the Others, I guess (laughs). Why did man go north? Why are countries invaded and the inhabitants killed? The Others don’t like us that much…

In A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons the POV characters are well spread out from each other. Are they gonna stay that way in Winds of Winter? How much of the sixth book have you written?

The idea is for the sixth book to bring the two storylines together. The fourth and fifth book saw them spreading further apart, and I now hope to reunite them in order to have all the characters in a single volume. I have 200 pages of Winds of Winter in their definitive version, and another 200 more that I am revising. They are in an early stage, so they need more work and I need to polish more details until they read the way I want. Bear in mind that the MS of the last book, A Dance With Dragons, had 1,500 pages, so I still have hundreds of pages ahead of me.

As soon as I am done with the long tour I hope to go back home, lock myself up, and write like hell. At any rate, let it be clear that the sixth book won’t hit the shelves for a long time. It won’t be out in 2012 or 2013, either. I trust it can be published in 2014. Now, I take all these estimations with a grain of salt, because I’m bad at calculating deadlines and dates. Besides, what worries me is that people value the saga for its literary quality, and not how smoothly each book has been published. What I can assure you of is that I’m doing the best I can within my abilities, I’m working full tilt and I think that’s how I must deal with this book.

He did say "Not yet" but the interviewer later commented not to trust the answer that much because George was very tired by then. The interview is for Fantasymundo but a fraction of it was posted at asshai.com board. They said they will post the complete text in a few days, along with pictures.

When the dudes of asshai.com post the complete version, I will add it here

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How does it destroy the theory? All it means is that he wasn't around when the promise was made. Ned could have told him later or any one of many other possibilities.

I don't think he meant THE theory, but some of the more wild and crazy ideas it has spawned. Like the R + L = Hodor (the Ho of the hodor being for Howland), or the H+L=J. There are many more like this to choose from... :hat:

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Then proving Jon was Rhaegar's son will be nearly impossible, since Jon looks nothing like a Targaryen.

Has there been a Targaryen that didn't look like a Targaryen?

Quite a bit yes. Actually all the Targaryens that look like Targaryens are incest children, the ones that have one different parent than a Targ vary immensely in appearance. Targ gene is quite recessive, as are more blond/pale blue eyed genes. And we kind of already knew Howland was not present when the promise was made, she was alone with Ned. There are a thousand other ways in which he could've known, though.

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"Not yet"??? That's almost a confirmation that the faceless men will try and kill Danny's Dragons!!! I am in the camp that hopes that they send Arya to do the killing and Arya then kills Danny for calling her father a dog(Usurper's dogs)